1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-eye image pickup device having a plurality of imaging units.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
A multi-eye image pickup device having a plurality of imaging units is known as a type of digital camera. The multi-eye image pickup device includes a stereoscopic image pickup device for carrying out stereoscopic photography with use of binocular disparity, a panoramic image pickup device that connects plural images captured by the plural imaging units and generates a panoramic image, and the like. Also, there is a type of multi-eye image pickup device that simultaneously takes a plurality of images with photographic conditions different from one another, e.g. different magnifications.
In the multi-eye image pickup device according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-104586, a person's face is detected from a preliminary image captured by each imaging unit. Then, in actual photography, focusing is obtained by AF processing and an exposure condition is established by AE processing, so that the detected face is captured optimally.
In this multi-eye image pickup device, however, if an angle of view largely varies from one imaging unit to another, the number, position, and size of persons' faces detected in each preliminary image differ from one another. The AF processing and AE processing are carried out based on each preliminary image, and a focal point and the exposure condition are established differently from one imaging unit to another. Thus, not all the imaging units appropriately capture the image of the desired person's face in the actual photography.